Staying: A Memoir

As children, Jessie Cole and her brother Jake ran wild, free to roam their rainforest home as they pleased. They had each other, parents who adored them, and two mysterious, beautiful, clever half-sisters, Billie and Zoe, who came to visit every holidays. But when Jessie was on the cusp of adolescence, tragedy struck, and her happy, loving family fell apart. This heartbreaking memoir asks what happens to those who are left behind when someone takes their own life. It's about the importance of home, family and forgiveness--and finding peace in a place of pain. By the critically acclaimed author of Darkness on the Edge of Townand Deeper Water.

Jessie Colegrew up in an isolated valley in northern New South Wales and lived a bush childhood of creek swimming and barefoot free-range adventuring. Her first novel, Darkness on the Edge of Town, was shortlisted for the 2013 ALS Gold Medal and longlisted for the Dobbie Literary Award. Her second novel, Deeper Water, was released in 2014 to much critical acclaim.

'Graceful, revealing, pitch perfect. Cole is an author who pays sharp attention to the world around her.' Australian on Deeper Water

'Stayingaches and pulses with life...Cole is a writer of immense talent.' Anna Krien

'Stayingis a well-written, extremely moving memoir that steers resolutely clear of stereotypes and self-pity...For all the darkness, there is light too. Cole is a gifted writer with a sensual turn of phrase, and her exploration of the reverberating effects of suicide is both illuminating and absorbing. It will appeal to readers who loved her previous novels.' Books+Publishing

'A book about the lasting effects of trauma and how it radiates through families. It's beautifully written and I'm full of admiration for the heart and the craft in this memoir.' Tim Winton, Guardian, What We're Reading in March 2018

'Cole is a gifted writer with a sensual turn of phrase, and her exploration of the reverberating effects of suicide is both illuminating and absorbing.' Books+Publishing

'When Australia's cultural narratives insist an artist must leave home to succeed, Cole shows one forged by staying put...It's surprising that, in the midst of such sorrow, what resounds is a sensation of fecundity. But perhaps it's not, from a writer of such talent and grace.' Saturday Paper

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Jessie Cole grew up in an isolated valley in northern New South Wales and lived a bush childhood of creek swimming and barefoot free-range adventuring. Her first novel, Darkness on the Edge of Town, was shortlisted for the 2013 ALS Gold Medal and longlisted for the Dobbie Literary Award. Her second novel, Deeper Water, was released in 2014 to much critical acclaim.